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TECH NEWS

Decathlon releases Triban GRVL900 Titanium Gravel Bike

The 2021 GRVL900 features a Shimano GRX 600 1X groupset and Dedacciai Titanium frame

Decathlon has announced a new gravel bike that it says is the most comfortable bike it has ever made. With the GRVL900 featuring a Dedacciai titanium frame, a full carbon fork, Shimano GRX 600 groupset and Fulcrum RR900 wheels for £2,499.99, it certainly seems like a decent amount of bike for the money.

> Decathlon's 2020 road and gravel bike range

We’re seeing a growing number of bike brands trying their hand at making titanium bikes; and the biggest surge in Ti use is in gravel, where the claimed smoothness, robust nature and dashing looks are said to be very much at home.

Decathlon's in-house bike brand Triban is the latest to join the party, and its GRVL900 Ti looks set to offer a lot of bike for your cash. It's certainly one of the more affordable titanium gravel bikes out there. 

Triban GRVL900 Ti Seat tube

The key feature on any titanium bike is the frame, and Triban has gone to Dedacciai for the GRVL900 Ti. The tubes here are Grade 9 3AL 2.5V titanium, and they’re all hand-welded at the Dedacciai factory in Italy. It claims a medium frame weighs in at 1.6kg.

Triban adds: “The frame's geometry is designed to be comfortable and dynamic, creating a simple, long-lasting bike. Triban GRVL geometry has a better balance between comfort, steering and performance.”

> The best Titanium Gravel and Adventure bikes

Triban has opted for a full UD carbon fork at the front end, which comes with internal routing for the brake hose and a claimed weight of 434g. The dropout runs on the now-standard 12x100mm thru-axle and is set up for a flat-mount brake.

Versatility of the GRVL900 is improved with the addition of two inserts on the fork blades, which allows the rider to mount either a bag or a bottle cage. The maximum load that the fork can cope with is 8kg.

> Review: Triban RC120 Disc Road Bike

Crucially, tyre clearance at the front and rear ends is quite generous at 45mm for a 700c wheel or 50mm for a 650b wheel.

Triban GRVL900 Ti Geometry 2

Triban says that it has kept the geometry close to what is expected of their bikes, basing things around comfort. Triban’s executive engineer Louis Motte says: “For this gravel version, we did extend the top tube to save space between the foot and the tyre. We also set a steering angle of 71.5º on all sizes which for us is the best combo between stability and manoeuvrability for gravel."

> Should you choose a steel, aluminium, titanium or carbon road bike?

Triban has left the frame raw as we see quite a lot on titanium bikes, allowing the natural finish to be displayed.

Triban GRVL900 Ti Rear Mech

A Shimano GRX groupset has been used in a 1X setup featuring a 40T chainset with an 11-42T 11-speed cassette. Shimano also provides the hydraulic disc brakes with 160mm rotors front and rear.

Triban GRVL900 Ti Rear Triangle

Fulcrum’s Rapid Red 900 DB wheels provide a tubeless-ready platform for Hutchinson’s Touareg tubeless-ready tyres that come supplied in a 40mm width. Triban uses its comfort+ aluminium gravel bar that features a 16º flare.

Sizes range from XS to XL and the bike is available to buy now.

decathlon.co.uk

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34 comments

Avatar
bikeman01 | 4 years ago
0 likes

It's nice but in my experience of the Milton Keynes branch anything other than the base models don't make it to the store. Perhaps these products are designed to get customers in to buy sportsware and don't actually exist.

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armb | 4 years ago
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Secret_squirrel replied to armb | 4 years ago
1 like

I spoke to a dealer about the Spa - trouble is they havent updated it for about 3 years since they aquired it by buying Triton (I think)  - as in still has QR.  Not a show stopper but something to consider.

The PX Tempest seems a good choice - given the Mark Reilly design - its identical geo to the Gradient, but some "noise" about frame alignment on Singletrack world.   Alledgedly most of the "budget" UK ones are coming out of the same far east factory including the PX, the Dolan, the Sonder, the Ribble CGR etc.

The branded tubing on this Decathlon may be a cut above that factory - but who knows?

If you want to see my deliberations have a look here :

https://road.cc/content/forum/reilly-gradient-alternatives-275519

I'm waiting for my Gradient frame to be delivered 

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dave_t replied to Secret_squirrel | 4 years ago
0 likes

I've got the previous version of the Ribble CGR Ti and am interested to know who manufactured the frame. I see a lot of similarities between the Ribble and the new Kinesisi GTD, the rear dropout and mech hanger look to be identical. Even the seat clamp faces forward which I've not seen on any other model apart from these two.

Probably putting 2 and 2 together and coming up with 5 here though!

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cdamian | 4 years ago
2 likes

Someone really wants me to get into gravel.

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dave_t | 4 years ago
4 likes

No rear mudguard mount and a press fit BB? It's a no from me.

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Dingaling replied to dave_t | 4 years ago
3 likes

Nor mounting points on the seat stays for a carrier.

I think they screwed up in R&D.

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bobrayner | 4 years ago
2 likes

That's an awful lot of bike for the money. And a titanium gravel bike with 1x and tan walls? You can hardly accuse Decathlon of failing to follow trends.

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Paul7189 replied to bobrayner | 4 years ago
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Typical road.cc journalism though. "£2099 gravel bike click the link below" 

clicks link

"£2500 gravel bike"

oh.....

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Truffl3Shuffl3 replied to Paul7189 | 4 years ago
2 likes

I checked when the article first went live and it was indeed £2099. Several hours later and the price has gone up - think the bean counters made a mistake on that one. 

Also the 16 hour wait till pre order magically disappeared and everything was just out of stock.

I was about to pre order at that price too! For a little extra you can get Ribble's better specced CGR titanium version.

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Liam Cahill replied to Paul7189 | 4 years ago
1 like

Hi Paul, price was correct at the time of publishing. Just changing it now. Not such good value now

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Liam Cahill replied to Liam Cahill | 4 years ago
2 likes

Hopefully some of you got in there at the lower price?

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Truffl3Shuffl3 replied to Liam Cahill | 4 years ago
0 likes

Hi Liam,

I tried ordering but when I went on the site it told me there was a 16 hour wait before pre ordere started. Came back less than 16 hours later to find out the price had changed and all bikes had sold out. What a farce.

Have you spoken with your press contact at Decathlon to see what's happened?

thanks.

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Sriracha replied to Truffl3Shuffl3 | 4 years ago
1 like

Bait & switch.

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Truffl3Shuffl3 replied to Sriracha | 4 years ago
0 likes

Well it didn't work...

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Truffl3Shuffl3 replied to Truffl3Shuffl3 | 4 years ago
1 like

https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/ribble-cgr-ti-grx/

Comes with GRX 810 and better finishing kit for only £400 more, plus you can fit mudguards!

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S1mWa1k replied to Truffl3Shuffl3 | 4 years ago
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Or you can use the custom build to get the Ribble CGR TI with GRX600 for only £2,299: https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/ribble-cgr-ti/build/#build_options=8b359e01754b7ce218a67a2e18001679

There's also the Alpkit Sonder Camino Ti GRX, which is even less at £2,149: https://alpkit.com/collections/sonder-camino/products/sonder-camino-ti-grx1

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Truffl3Shuffl3 replied to S1mWa1k | 4 years ago
0 likes

Good point! That is a sweet deal. 

I must admit the idea of the made in Italy frame did have me very interested, my other bike being a Condor with an Italian built frame (pretty sure it's Dedacciai too).

Sondor is out of stock, like all decent bikes at the moment it seems.

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Liam Cahill replied to Truffl3Shuffl3 | 4 years ago
1 like

I've just emailed them with your query. I'll post here if/when they get back to me

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Liam Cahill replied to Liam Cahill | 4 years ago
0 likes

Here's what they've told me:

"I can confirm that the correct price is £2499.99. There was an IT glitch which took a few hours to resolve. It was sorted as soon as the error was picked up. The back office price was correct but the front office price was not. 
Regarding stock, we are trying to figure out why this is not showing up as being orderable. The international IT is working on it since this morning. I can only apologise for the confusion."

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Truffl3Shuffl3 replied to Liam Cahill | 4 years ago
1 like

"IT glitch", aka the person writing up the product spec had sausage fingers...

 

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the infamous grouse replied to Liam Cahill | 4 years ago
1 like
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wtjs | 4 years ago
5 likes

Gravel bike without carrier and mudguard fittings?

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Sriracha replied to wtjs | 4 years ago
2 likes

Bizarre. Front mount carrier fittings on the fork, but diddly-squat on the rear. And no mudguards! Quelle horreur.

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the infamous grouse replied to Sriracha | 4 years ago
1 like

and the maintenance horror of gear/brake lines that enter the downtube only to exit at the BB. why not just leave them external?

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wtjs replied to the infamous grouse | 4 years ago
0 likes

and the maintenance horror of gear/brake lines that enter the downtube only to exit at the BB. why not just leave them external?

Agreed. I deliberately bought a bike where the fully external outer cable is continuous from the brake/ shifter lever to the mechs. It's great- just pull up the rubber cover on the Sora lever, pull out the inner cable, oil it and thread it straight back through. Hey Presto! shifting is back to 'light and smooth'.

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wycombewheeler replied to wtjs | 4 years ago
1 like

wtjs wrote:

Agreed. I deliberately bought a bike where the fully external outer cable is continuous from the brake/ shifter lever to the mechs..

As long as the outer is continuous it's easy to push the inner through it, doesn't really matter if it's internal or external then.

Less worried about brake lines as I don't think I have ever replaced a hydraulic hose.

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Miller replied to Sriracha | 4 years ago
1 like

External cabling is wonderful at catching mud.

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the infamous grouse replied to Miller | 4 years ago
2 likes

i expect the cable guide mounted on the BB shell will be just as capable of catching mud and transferring it to the gear cable ferrule.

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wycombewheeler replied to Miller | 4 years ago
1 like

Miller wrote:

External cabling is wonderful at catching mud.

but still external at the BB, perfect to catch lots of mud

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